


Cherry Cola and Luck

by angelicpluto, persimnon



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Cherry cola - Freeform, M/M, Two-Shot, angst if you squint, brief mention of brason, movie theater AU, nico is gayyy for solace, percy is a liar, solangelo two-shot, will solace deserves everything and more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 01:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15132314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelicpluto/pseuds/angelicpluto, https://archiveofourown.org/users/persimnon/pseuds/persimnon
Summary: In which two dorks spill soda on one another due to the pristine matchmaking abilities of Percy Jackson.





	1. 1

Nico hated Percy Jackson so much. Like, more than one should be able to hate a person. Because you see, the hated person in question had just single-handedly ruined his night and the poor hot guy’s white shirt.

He really didn't want to be here anyway. But Percy just HAD to see Finding Dory and so did all of his friends. So, he decided _well, let's be social with them! What fun!_

No.

Nico hated cherry cola to a certain extent, too. It had been the offending drink of question, now being dabbed out of the gorgeous, light-haired angel’s pristine white shirt, because _SOMEONE_ (*cough* Percy *cough*) had shoved him into the unsuspecting, handsome passerby.

He never should have come.

Annabeth, bless her, had run to get napkins while Nico was frozen in pure horror. His feet refused to move, and to add to the humiliation, his eyes couldn't either. And they were glued to the boy’s defined chest.

Nico hated being gay. Not really, but in a roundabout way, he did.

He really should have dropped his gaze or something.

“Nico is really sorry, sir. You see, he’s mute,” Percy explained with a sadistic grin, thumping Nico on the back like he hadn't just stabbed right through it.

Nico had two options: announce now that Percy was lying and apologize.

Or he could spare himself the humiliation and go along with it.

 _I’m pathetic,_ he thought as he nodded without a sound.

“Oh well, it's no biggie,” the stranger flashed his award-winning smile and begun to move his hands in weird patterns and…oh.

Nico hated luck. Mostly because it never seemed to pay him a visit. If anything, luck avoided him like the plague.

_Smile and nod, smile and nod._

Percy had to excuse himself because he was crying with unshed laughter.

Annabeth, on the other hand, was looking pitifully at him. “Well, the movie is about to start. Again, we’re sorry that had to happen…”

“Will,” the charming teen filled in, sticking his hand out. Annabeth shook it.

“I’m Annabeth, this is Nico, and back there was Percy,” Nico gripped Annabeth’s sleeve as if he were suddenly scared of strangers. _Acting skills put to use_ , he summed it up to. _Maybe I should be on Broadway! I could make a good Connor Murphy._

Getting the hint, the blonde girl ushered him to their seats before smacking her boyfriend upside the head. Nico, eager to murder Percy at this point, said nothing.

He knew Percy, and the least affecting form of revenge on him would be to give him more attention. The quiet game was not his best friend’s strong suit, and Nico was prepared to make him pay for knocking him into the dude with a not-so-subtle remark about “getting some”. Maybe, if he hadn't done that, Nico could have introduced himself properly to the guy he was drooling for since he originally saw him in line for popcorn. But he also knew that he wouldn't have interacted with him anyway. _Damn introverted personality. Why can’t I be like Percy?_

Yeah, why couldn't he be confident, ripped, and friendly? Why did he have to be a shell of a person, shy and nasty to everyone around him? Why did he repel people like Jason attracted bricks? Maybe he could be wrapping his arm around someone as the animated characters flounced on screen if he was like Percy. Maybe he could have an Annabeth (but you know, a dude). Maybe he would have his first kiss done with.

It took him awhile to realize he was crying, tears making their way leisurely down his cheeks. The truth was stabbing at the knife wound that was left gaping earlier, and he hoped that the other patrons would sum it up to the tragedy of Dory losing her parents.

Annabeth and Percy didn't even look up as he scooted past them to run to the bathroom.

* * *

Luck hated Nico. Evidence: the thud that rang out as soon as he shoved open the bathroom door. On the linoleum floor tiles lay the golden angel, Will, who was still trying to pat himself down with napkins.

“Oh my gods, I am so sorr—” Nico clasped a hand over his mouth. _Shoot._ He wasn't supposed to be talking.

Will burst out laughing, holding his sides as he nearly rolled into the wall. Hurt, Nico skirted past him and locked himself in one of the empty bathroom stalls, trying to memorize the tile patterns with a frightful amount of intensity. He couldn't cry again. He just couldn't. Not in front of Will.

It took a minute, but the laughter died down. The silence wasn't there for long, as it was disturbed by the sound of sneakers on tiles and a knock on the plastic door. Nico’s heart picked up its speed to 120 miles and hour, which wasn't particularly healthy, but still.

“Go away,” Nico croaked like a petulant three year old, bringing his hoodie string to his mouth. A small giggle escaped from the other side of the door.

“Nico, come out,” the boy whispered, laughter still teasing the end of his voice, “please?”

Try as he might, Nico couldn't help but laugh at the irony of that phrase in his head. Hesitantly, he opened the door.

Will was a beacon of light compared to Nico’s black skinny jeans, black converse, and skull tee-shirt. The blonde had on board shorts, yellow Nikes, and a (red-stained) white tee-shirt. They were close enough that Nico could count each and every freckle on the taller boy’s cheeks.

“So, I’m caught.” Nico blushed, chewing more at his hoodie string. “I’m really sorry. Obviously, I’m not actually mute.”

“It’s okay, I didn't really believe Percy anyway when you gave him that death glare,” Will chirped, a cherry cola scented aura fanning Nico’s blush-red cheeks.

An awkward yet comforting silence fell over the two. Will’s smile was halfway between endearing and infuriating. Endearing because it held promise and hope. Infuriating because Nico just wanted to kiss those lips. Like really, really wanted to kiss those lips.

“Oh, I give up!” Will whispered, “I can’t get the stain out, and I’m missing the movie.”

Nico’s face fell. So much for the supposed reciprocation of feelings.

“But, I do want your number,” Will contemplated with a playful smile. With a face 50 shades of red, Nico fumbled with the pen he was offered, slightly smudging the ink with his nervous jitters.

And, it’s easy to assume Nico didn't hate luck or cherry cola from that moment on.

But he still hated Percy. That didn't change.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which two dorks are at it again.

“And for you, sir? Want anything to drink?”

_Rats!_

“Oh, sorry, give me one quick second here…” Will skimmed the refreshments menu as fast as he could, but gave up with a defeated, “I’ll take a cherry cola, I guess.” Yesterday’s shirt-ruining event, being the thing on his mind before, seemed to have affected his lunch order. That guy Nico had been resting in the subconscious of Will’s brain for the last day, just as the paper with his smudged cell number had stayed crumpled in the left pocket of his jeans, Will having been surprisingly too nervous to text it.

The waitress moved onto another table, leaving Will to await his his soda among the bustling crowd of the lunch rush.

Back his mind went to the happenings of the last day. Nico’s flushed expression as he reluctantly made his way out of the bathroom stall, reeking with the stench of shame, was the most prominent figure of that memory.

As was Nico’s sharp jawline when he had bitten his hoodie string as a replacement to conversation. One thing Will did _not_ regret was acquiring his number.

Once again, the reliving of yesterday was interrupted by Will’s waitress as she set down a glass of cherry cola, filled to the brim.

The smell and taste of the beverage induced a strong flashback to Will’s laundry hamper that morning, after he had given up on removing the tee’s large umber stain that covered the torso.

But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to throw the garment away. Maybe he could tie-die it or something?

Yeah, he could spill some other colors on it, then wear it the next time he saw Nico, then he could measure how long it would take for Nico to notice it was the stained shirt. _Wait, next time he saw Nico?_ Will had forgotten that was going to have to include texting him. His stomach flipped at the thought.

Will ordered a rather extravagant salad the next time the waitress made her rounds to his seat, and by the time his food came, he had made up his mind: he was going to _call_ Nico, right now, and ask him on a date. He fished the note out of his jeans.

Looking around, Will decided that the middle of a restaurant was definitely not a good place to call and ask out a person, especially with the roars now beginning to erupt behind him in support for whatever soccer game that played on the television. However, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an empty table beckoning to him from outside the front window of the restaurant. Much quieter.

Carefully, Will balanced his platter atop his right arm, phone and paper still in hand, and held his cherry cola in his left. Even the look of the fizzing soda gave Will a jolt of reckless confidence. _It’s now or never_ , he thought as he began to type the digits into his phone, simultaneously inching his way between the backs of chairs toward his destination.

Will had to admit, he didn’t have the best balance when it came to holding two food items and a phone, but if he waited any longer to dial Nico’s number, the fearlessness would be gone and he may never get another chance.

He was almost to the front doors of the establishment now, without a single spillage, and his shaky thumb managed type out the final digit.

And then there was a foot.

Will’s focus shifted immediately to the surprise leg jutting out directly in front of him, but not quickly enough, because what ensued was nothing short of chaos.

Of course, he tripped over the leg, and his salad soared majestically out of his arm’s hold and right onto his shoes. His left hand, just as shocked as the rest of his body, launched the cherry cola like a projectile, only to land on the entire top half of somebody’s shirt a foot in front of him. Will glanced upward.

Just his luck. The face belonged to Nico.

“What. The. _Hell_?”

Before Will could answer, not like he could ever respond to that, the owner of the infamous foot burst into shrill laughter. Glancing his way, Will was anything but surprised to see it was Percy.

“Nico! Nice to see you! I am _so_ sorry.” Will managed, trying to assess his situation. It was a catastrophe, but at least he wasn’t the one covered in sticky soda this time.

Nico didn’t respond. Instead, he stared daggers at Percy. “I saw you put your foot out. You tripped him. On purpose!”

Percy shrugged, smirking. “I was returning the favor, that’s all.”

“Yeah? Well, you’re going to reimburse me for this shirt,” Nico quipped back. He crouched down to his knees and reached for something under a chair. He came back up holding Will’s phone as well as the note he’d written last night. “These are yours, I think.” Nico took another glance at the paper, and Will could see his cheeks flushing. “I, uh—I’m gonna go clean myself off.”

“Sorry, again!”

* * *

Will pushed open the door to the men’s bathroom, the smell of the salad drenching his shoes having taken priority above guiltily helping the restaurant workers clean up his mess. Inside, of course, stood Nico on a stain-removing mission. His shirt was stretched out under the sink water in a desperate manner, attempting to wash out the drink, but to no avail.

Nico’s head snapped towards Will. “This is cherry cola, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

“Y’know, not even 24 hours ago I swore I’d never come in contact with such a drink ever again.”

Will grinned. “I’m sorry I had to be the one to ruin that.”

A silence followed. Will wanted to fill it in, but he missed his chance.

Nico cleared his throat after a couple moments. “So…What brings you here?”

“To the restaurant? I just eat here a lot.”

“Okay, not really the question I meant to ask,” Nico managed. “More like, what universal constant could have made it so we both spilled the same soda on one another within 24 hours?”

Will grinned. “Well, every action has an equal opposite reaction,” he replied, not sure if he was quoting Isaac Newton or _Hamilton_ . “And the soda was _your_ fault.”

Nico’s face scrunched up in confusion in a cute little way. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Blood rushed to Will’s cheeks, a teasing lilt taking over his voice. “Because I was too busy dialing _your_ number to look in front of me. It’s why you picked the paper off the floor.”

Nico now shared the flushed demeanor, looking down. “I can’t believe you were actually going to call it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not usually the type that causes people to think twice. I’m surprised you even kept the note,” Nico said, looking anywhere but at Will.

 _I’ve thought about you far more than twice_ , he wanted to say. The carved outline of Nico’s torso through his sopping-wet shirt almost made Will voice that thought.

Instead, he went with, “Lucky for the both of us, I did. Or, unluckily. It _is_ the reason why you’re going to be a sticky soda mess for the rest of the day.”

That got a smile out of Nico.

“But since you’re here, and I’m pretty sure the cola smudged the ink on the paper,” Will continued, “do you want to get dinner sometime?”

“That sounds great.”

“Perfect.” A buzz ran through Will’s veins.

“Gods, I’m never getting this stuff out, am I?” Nico whined.

Will let out a laugh. “Your shirt’s black, how are you complaining?! At least you only have to deal with the smell. Speaking of which, I should probably try to get the salad out of my shoes.”

“We can be in public bathroom sink hell together.”

“Lucky us!” Will chirped sarcastically.

“Lucky indeed. Also, I didn’t mention this before, but it’s totally Percy’s fault, not mine. You should trip him back, just to be fair.”

“If this is a revenge scheme, I’m totally buying it.”

A week and a date-and-a-half later, they had carried through with the revenge, and it goes without saying that Percy regretted not keeping his limbs to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well damn this is a published work ain't it! For someone who hates reading fluff, I sure had a hell of a time writing it.

**Author's Note:**

> i never really know how to do this, so i'm going to just thank some ppl like last time.  
> i would like to thank my beta (and author of the second part of this 2 shot) for accidentally typing "cherry cola in a cherry cola" and also for giving me pringles, Brendon Urie because hot damn, and Nico for being a whiny bitch... but jk because i love him!  
> I'm a fucking planet,  
> Pluto


End file.
